The invention relates to a receptacle for accepting nutrient media, these being understood to include nutrient solutions or nutrient substrates, for example, in particular for the cultivation of microorganisms, cell cultures, bacteria, etc. The receptacle comprises a dish and a cover which closes the dish. It is to be noted here that the cover may enclose the dish or engage in the dish. As a result, the dish and the cover are to be understood very generally as parts which engage in one another to form a more or less closed chamber. For simplification, reference will be made hereafter to the dish and the cover.
The dish and the cover each comprise a bottom implemented in the form of a circular surface (dish bottom and cover bottom), and a circular ring wall protruding from the bottom (dish wall and cover wall). One of the walls, preferably the cover wall, has an at least slightly larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the other wall, preferably the dish wall, so that one wall may be slipped over the other (or vice versa) to close the dish.
Receptacles of the type under discussion are known under the name “Petri dish.” This is understood as a flat, round, usually transparent glass or plastic dish having an overlapping cover. Such a dish is typically employed in biology or chemistry. It is used for cultivating microorganisms and is employed for establishing cell cultures.
Reference is made to DE 44 06 725 A1, solely for exemplary purposes, with regard to the receptacle forming the species from which a receptacle in the meaning of a Petri dish is known. A cover is used for closing the receptacle. The cover is normally slipped over the dish and/or over the dish wall. The handling of a receptacle closed in this way is problematic, however, because detachment of the dish and the cover cannot to be avoided when grasping the cover. Contaminants thus reach the interior of the receptacle or established cultures may get outside the receptacle. There is a danger of contamination.
Causing a clamping action between the dish and the cover by suitable design and dimensioning of the dish and the cover is already known from practice. If one wishes to generate a secure connection between the dish and the cover, a type of press fit must be implemented, which makes detaching the cover from the dish more difficult, if not even impossible. As a result, such a solution is only suitable in a limited way for the secure closing and opening of the receptacle.
The present invention is based on the object of designing and refining a receptacle for accepting nutrient media, in particular for cultivating microorganisms, cell cultures, and/or organisms, in such a way that secure handling is possible in particular with a closed receptacle. The danger of unintentional detachment of the cover from the dish is to be avoided as much as possible, intentional detachment of the cover from the dish having to be possible without great force application.